Rangers News

Rangers add veteran defenseman Hamrlik

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has claimed defenseman Roman Hamrlik off waivers from the Washington Capitals.

Roman Hamrlik, a former No. 1 overall draft pick, has played more NHL games than any player from the Czech Republic in the league's history, having broken into the NHL with Tampa Bay back in 1992.

Hamrlik, 38, was the first overall pick in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft and is the current active leader in NHL games played, having appeared in 1,383 career regular season contests. The three-time NHL All-Star (1996, 1999, 2003) has registered 155 goals and 483 assists for 638 points, along with 1,402 penalty minutes over 20 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. He currently ranks third in career goals, assists and points among active NHL defensemen. Hamrlik’s team has advanced to the playoffs in 14 of 16 seasons since 1995-96.

Last season, Hamrlik led Washington in playoff plus/minus rating with a postseason career-high, plus-eight rating through two playoff rounds against the Rangers and Boston Bruins. He also ranked second on the team in blocked shots (37), fourth in average time on ice (22:17), and tied for first among team defensemen in assists (three) and second in points (four) in 14 playoff games.

The 6-2, 206-pounder has registered one assist in four games with Washington this season. He made his NHL debut on October 7, 1992, against Chicago, and registered his first career point with a goal on October 20, 1992, against Edmonton. Hamrlik established career-highs in games played (82), goals (16), assists (49), points (65) and power play goals (12) during the 1995-96 season. He also tied his career-high in goals with 16 as a member of the Islanders in 2000-01, tying for fourth in goals among NHL defensemen that season.

In postseason action, Hamrlik has registered three goals and 37 assists for 40 points, along with 85 penalty minutes in 111 career games with the Lightning, Oilers, Islanders, Flames, Canadiens, and Capitals. He established playoff career-highs in games played (19), assists (nine) and points (nine) with Montreal in 2009-10, while helping the Canadiens advance to the Conference Finals.

The Zlin, Czech Republic native is a two-time Olympian, having represented the Czech Republic at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1998, he recorded one goal in six games to help the Czech Republic capture an Olympic gold medal. Hamrlik has also represented the Czech Republic in the IIHF World Championship (1994, 2004), the World Cup (1996, 2004), and the IIHF World Junior Championship (1992).